Why do you attend Conference? To network? To scope out new vendors? To buffet binge?

Even if you answered “yes” to all three of those reasons, undoubtedly you are also attending for professional development! The Professional Development Committee and Leadership and Education Subcommittee (got all that?) have prepared amazing programs to make sure you leave Conference feeling energized, inspired, and ready to be the best librarian you can be.

The Professional Development Committee is #blessed to have two committed and effective co-chairs this year, Theresa Agostinelli and Alyssa Valenti. They both look forward to NJLA and all the sessions PD is sponsoring and co-sponsoring. For Alyssa, “Focusing on professional development is such an important aspect of librarianship. Having the opportunity to attend so many diverse programs is why I continue to attend the NJLA conference every year. I am especially looking forward to attending the session, There’s an Imposter in the Library… and it’s Me! (Wednesday at 9 AM). I think many people at various stages of their careers suffer from feeling like imposters even if this certainly isn’t the case! I think the session will help me step out of my own box and give me a new perspective on being a librarian”.

Theresa feels similarly: “Programs at the NJLA Conference and continuing education events offered throughout the year are invaluable to our growth as library employees and to libraries as a whole. It is always worthwhile to hear different perspectives and learn new ways of doing things. Connecting with colleagues that are working towards the same goals, regardless of job titles and library types, is invigorating. One program that I am looking forward to at this year’s NJLA Conference is, Agree to Disagree without Being Disagreeable (Tuesday at 11:30 AM). Communication plays such an important role in libraries and in our lives. I am anxious to learn from the talented speakers”.

Further reinforcing the theme of self-awareness and personal improvement, the Leadership and Education Subcommittee is sponsoring Introverted Leadership: How Introversion Leads to Success (Tuesday at 9 AM). Publications on leadership have been praising the qualities of the introverted leader. What are those qualities? How do they work? How do those traits lead an organization to success? Join the subcommittee for a panel discussion on Introverted Leadership. James Keehbler, Karen Pifher, Susan Quinn, and Joan Serpico will all describe how their inner introvert has led to success.

These three sessions are just the tip of the professional development iceberg. Read on for a list of additional programs designed to help you live up to your full potential. See you in AC!

TUESDAY

• There Is No Box: Innovation and Your Whys, What Ifs, and Why Nots?
  • 9 AM – 9:50 AM
• Introverted Leadership: How Introversion Leads to Success
  • 9 AM – 9:50 AM
• Agree to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable
  • 11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
• WiFi Hotspot Lending: Building Digitally Inclusive Communities
  • 11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
• Rutgers Book Showcase
  • 3:10 PM – 4 PM
• Instructional Assessment Strategies at Your Library!
  • 4:10 PM – 5 PM
    

WEDNESDAY

• There’s an Imposter in the Library...and it’s Me!
  • 9 AM – 9:50 AM
• Develop Your Development Skills: Effective Fundraising for Your Library
  • 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM

Adriana Mamay and the 2016-2017 NJLA Conference Committee